Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-01-29
THE ONLY MEANS OF SAVING THE DEMO
OCRATIC PARTY.
An Extra Session NscssSary-All Means to Dis
tribute the Surplus Merely haksshifts-
How to Avoid a Panic-GOod
Democratic Doctrine.

some contrivance by which the govern,
ment may be enabled to put the surplus
revenues in circulation as fast as they
come in.
Mr.. Hewitt introduced, in December, q
bill for this purpose, which, however, has
not found many friends. 1t commands
the repayment in a gross sum OF the inter
est on the outstanding bonds over three
per cent.
Mr.. Scott has different measure, which
provides that the surplus revenues shall
be lent by the government to the banks, OF
to such of them rs give the required Sc
surity. This also has not found many
friends.
Mr.. Warner has project, which it is said
the Committee on Ways and Means favors,
and which looks to great purchase of bonds
ut the market price from the money held for
the payment of greenbacks, and the ma
tional bank note redemption fund. If the
committee should report this bill to the
House it is not probable that it will pass
either House.
There is yet another measure before the
Ways and Means Committee, which pro.
vides that the Treasury shall pay the hold
ers of fours and four and a halls such q
premium in hand as shall reduce their
bonds to two and halls, the Treasury to
have the option thereafter to call and pay
off such bonds at the rate of 500, ,OOO, 900 a
year.
MAKEsHIFTS.
All these contrivanceS are the work OF
men who despair of seeing the surplus
revenue adequately reduced. They are
makeshifts to put of an evil day. They
do not touch the real matter, for they do
not prevent the collection Of redundant
and unneeded and therefore unjustifiable
taxes from the people, but, on the con-
trary, are measures which, if adopted,
would make it possible to continue the
collection of surplus revenue for couple
of years longer. That is to say. they are
expedients for covering up mischievous
system of robbing the people, which was
savagely and righteOusly denounced by
the Democrats in their national platform.
Some of these expedients do just now
find favor among influential Democrats In
the House. This is because most of the
Democratic side very much fear an extra
session; they believe it will hurt their
party; they have not much confidence in
the next House, which contains many new
men, and, like all weak people, they seek
to put off the evil day instead of doing
that which would prevent its coming.
But there are other Democrats who
want to face the difficulty. One Of these
said to your correspondent to-day:
81 don't believe in any of these plans OF
getting the surplus out. There ought to
be no surplus collected. don't believe
the present Congress will remit taxes OF
cut off revenue. The very fact that such
schemes rs we have been talking OF find
favor with leading men i'll the House, and
even, am told, with the Speaker, shows
me that we cannot hope for sound meas
ure cutting off the surplus. Therefore
am for IN extra session, and ] hope the
President will summon the new Congress
as soon as possible after the 18th of March.
1t ought to meet in April and no later;
and I'll tell yOu why. Whatever is done
to cut off the surplus, no matter if it were
an ideally perfect bill, with inevitably
more OF less disOrganize business for a few
months. All change in taxation has that
effect, because it takes some time for bust
ness to adjust itself to new conditions
even if they are better conditions.
TO SAVE THE DEMOCRACY.
"Now," he continued, "for the welfare
of the Democratic party, it is absolutely
necessary to make these changes rs quickly
as possible, so that the country may have
time to settle down to the new conditions
before the next Presidential campaign
opens. Look at the question thus. If III
extra session is called, or if il is called late
in October, rs some of our friends'susgest
ed, it will he February, 1883, before any.
thing is accomplished in the way Ofcutting
of the surplus. The the country will b,
Just in the midst Of the most disorgnizins
consequences OF the change during tht
| Presidential canvass, and whoever is in
convenienced will blame the Democratic
marty, and we shall be driven from power
by the resentment of the people. If, OF
the contrary, an extra session is called iOI
April next, the new Congress will have tn,
spring, and the summer if it likes, to dc
what the Democratic party is solemnly
bound to dO-cut of the surplus. TheI
before the regular session begins in Decem
ber, the business of the country will have
rearranged itself and Congress will hav,
leisure to do some useful and necessary
work, good for the party and the country
''But will the new Congress be able t.
handle the tariff question any better thai
the present one?"
| NOT A TARIFF QUESTION.